AL FRANKEN KNOCKS DOWN DEAN HECKLER

New York Post Online ^ | January 27, 2004 | VINCENT MORRIS

[patton]

LOL. Covert psyops.

[.30Carbine]

Good one at #27.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Can you imagine if this had been a Bush rally and someone like Sean hannity had tackled a heckler?

I will be the last person to argue that a conservative would get an even break from journalists.

That does not change the fact that if everyone talks and no one is able to hear the person they are there to listen to, there is really no speech at all. Now if you as the speaker are able to put the heckler in his place with a verbal barb and shut him up, that is a win and you should do so. But if the police allow someone to prevent you from being heard when you deliver your scheduled speech, the ghost of Krystalnacht is abroad in the land.

I don't have the right to make you listen to me, but you don't have the right to prevent others from listening to me, either. The crucial distinction is the will of the listener, when that is patent--as assuredly it is in the case of an audience which has voluntarily gathered to hear a particular speaker. Our problem with the entertainment media is just that it makes so much noise that we have trouble burning through with what we want to say people to hear. But that doesn't give us the right to scribble our own message on the newspapers in the newsstands.

[Matthew James]

Plus, it sounds like so much fun!

[MeekOneGOP]

Yep, Franken is backing Weasley.

Hey, did you click on my link there (#76) ? If ya have speakers, you'll hear
the clown Franken when you go to that website ...

[MeekOneGOP]

haha ! Funny ...

[JimRed]

Franken emerged from the crowd and charged one male protester, grabbing him with a bear hug from behind and slamming him onto the floor.

Cowards typically attack from behind.

[JimRed]

Franken emerged from the crowd and charged one male protester, grabbing him with a bear hug from behind and slamming him onto the floor.

Cowards typically attack from behind.

[Pablo64]

I don't believe I've underestimated anyone. I would say maybe you have. Or maybe I just don't have enough tin foil in my hat??

(Seriously, what are you implying?)

[GOPJ]

Franken thinks free speech is the right of the powerful to speak to a hushed, humbled, audience.

Franken sits squarely with Castro, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and every other thug who shuts up the powerless with force. Franken is soooooooo thuggy.

He was concerned for someone's free speech?!? He obviously doesn't understand the concept!

Al Franken would make a great Nazi.

[MeekOneGOP]

So what happened to freedom of speech?

Yeah, really ! Being a good LIB, I'm sure he thinks that is reserved for only someone as smart as HIM !

He is a smart-alec too. If ya click the link in my post, he says people like him ! ha !

Perverts like him, maybe !

[NCPAC]

Just that I think you've underestimated Al Franken, at least judging by your initial comment. Franken may be a lot of things, but I don't think he is a dummy and, IMHO, to consider him a dummy is to underestimate him.

What is the deal with the "foil" in the hat? I've seen mentions of that all over these forums and have no clue what it means. (Maybe I'm the dummy!)

[EllaMinnow]

On "another" site, they are all screaming bloody murder because Bob Novak supposedly shoved someone yesterday. Threatening an arrest, lawsuit, the whole ball of wax.

But they still think Franken is their hero.

[Pablo64]

I think that Franken's actions have shown him to be a dummy and this particular "stunt" (if that's what you want to relegate it to) is just another example. Truly intelligent people don't resort to this kind of behavior. I think your giving him too much credit by reading any cleverness into it. You might be able to devise some really sneaky, clever set of circumstances that would use this type of behavior to mask your true, ultimate intentions, but Franken's just not capable of that much brain power (IMHO).

As for the tin foil thing: it's a reference to some of the more, shall we say, "far out" conspiracy theorists. The hint being that maybe their tin foil hat (used to block Alien Mind Rays) is either too tight, too loose, or lacking enough tin foil althogether. Your initial comment struck me as having an overtone of conspiracy theorist to it. I can see now that's not what you intended. (There's a funny moment in the movie "Signs" with Mel Gibson where he and his kids are wearing tin foil hats)

[wardaddy]

I used to see Franken around when I lived off upper Broadway in the mid 80s....at markets and delis on occasion. He was quite loud in his tone by nature....little man syndrome or hard of hearing.

If I had known then what I know now, I woulda sucker punched him.

[MeekOneGOP]

I can believe that (must be the DU) ...

[Jank]

Thanks, I told my "buddies" at work about Franken, and we
had a great laugh! I'll print this off, for them.